My Duty to it All
by Corinne Nohrule
Summary: AU: Prince Lincoln of Hyrule, also known as Link, is dealing with restoration efforts at present. The inner turmoil he has causes him to think second thoughts about the kingdom's future. At least, until a trusted companion decides to give him the solitude he needs. (Slight Zelink)


**Finally, my first fic that is solely Legend of Zelda, and an Alternate Universe fic at that. So this AU fic's concept is that Link and Zelda have switched roles, with Zelda being the Heroine of Hyrule, and Link is the Prince. Other stuff will be included too, such as Sheik being a separate character and a male in this AU. Set in the Twilight Princess Era, of course.**

 **Before we dive in, just a brief background check on the characters:**

 _ **Zelda- Also known as the "Chosen Lady" or the "Heroine Favored by the Gods", she had just saved the Kingdom of Hyrule from the Twilight Invasion. Now she takes up residence in Hyrule Castle, where she is working as Captain of the Guard, as well as one of the Prince's personal bodyguards. May or may not have some smitten feelings for the Prince; hard to tell.**_

 _ **Link- Hyrule's Crown Prince and monarch, as well as up and coming King of said kingdom. With the liberation of Hyrule secured thanks to Zelda's efforts, he works to bring the land back to stability in preparation for his coronation. Deeply loves his people, as well as his Chosen Lady, though the latter doesn't know it.**_

 _ **Sheik- Link's personal bodyguard, and a member of the near-extinct Sheikah tribe. He has just recovered from his injuries from his skirmish against the Twilight forces that invaded Hyrule, and is protecting the Prince full-time at present.**_

 **Phew, that was a lot for an introduction. Now let's get to the story.**

* * *

With the Kingdom of Hyrule still recovering, there was still plenty to do to fully restore order.

Link, Hyrule's sovereign, was currently reading the contents of the scroll that contained the list of needed projects for Hyrule's restoration. His eyebrows scrunched when read the part where he needed to do diplomatic visits and talks to secure loyalty and prevent uprisings. The Prince could only sigh when reading the part where the feeding program would be held the day after this one. At this point, Link was incredibly tired; these duties only served to stress him out even more.

Putting down the scroll on the table of his study, Link moved to stand next to his window, gazing at the collective buildings and houses of Castle Town. It gave him a reminder that the people needed their ruler, their _prince,_ to guide them in this time of recovery. It has only been a month since the Twilight's invasion of Hyrule had ended, and there remained plenty of unrest and fear among the citizens from the traumatic experience of being conquered. Link could feel their negative thoughts; it was something he had endured as Hyrule's prince. Those same thoughts made his expression turn sober, as he still blamed himself for allowing it to happen.

 _"But if I didn't surrender...many more lives would've been taken...like with what happened with the Zora Queen..."_

The prince could only clench his fist with what the usurper had done to the Zora Tribe, and to the many others who were affected, such as Ordon Village, which happened to be where the Chosen Lady had lived.

 _"Zelda..."_

There came a knock on the door.

"Yes?" Link called out. "Who wishes to speak to me?"

The door to his study opened, to reveal a young woman, brown hair let down, wearing her violet tunic. Link gave a gentle smile to his surprise visitor.

"Zelda."

The lady in question chuckled in response. "Yes, Your Highness, it's me."

"Now how many times have I told you? You are allowed to call me Lincoln or Link. It's only fair since I put down the option of addressing you as 'Lady Zelda' days ago."

Link said that with mock indigance. Zelda gave a playful smile in return.

"Well, _Link_ , I think that calling you 'Your Highness' or 'Your Grace' suits you."

"Really?"

"...I honestly don't know."

Both laughed lightheartedly after that statement. For a moment, Link forgot the current burden that was weighing his mind and heart. Then he suddenly turned sullen, and looked down at the scroll that remained on the table. Zelda did not leave that unnoticed.

"You're still concerned about Hyrule's future, aren't you?"

Link sighed. "I still am." He moved to sit down at his chair in front of the study table, and rested his head on one hand, while his other pulled the scroll towards himself.

"Being Hyrule's sovereign, it's inevitable that I get perturbed and downcast if something horrible happens to the kingdom. It's my duty to repair the damage that has been done, even if some of it is irreversible. I just wouldn't let it slide away."

Zelda made the move to go near the same window Link had gazed into earlier, only she looked intently at the prince. Said prince was still brooding, reading the contents of the parchment with sad eyes.

"There is unrest in this land, some innocent lives were taken, and those who were affected are left gripped in terror. I fear for everyone's well-being, Zelda, and I don't know if I can take it all in at once."

The prince lowered his head even more, reaching the depressive stage of his agony. It was a sad sight to see for the Chosen Lady, and knowing right away that Link needed some reassurance, Zelda spoke up.

"You don't have to take in too much right away, Link. It's okay to feel scared for the kingdom's future."

Link stopped brooding in worry, and turned to look at Zelda.

"Hmm?"

Zelda continued.

"It's common knowledge at this point that as the prince, you need to set things right, but...you'll not be alone."

The heroine moved to the other side of the table, facing Link, and she rested her hand in his. That action gave the prince a light blush on his cheeks, and if he looked closely, it seemed that Zelda was lightly blushing too.

"You got us: the Castle guards, Shad, Ashei, your retainer Sheik, even me. Whatever it is you'll do and endure, you will have us to face it alongside you, Link." A pause, as she gave a tender look. "We won't let Hyrule fall, and I won't let you fall. It's my duty as the Heroine, and I'll make sure of it."

The prince's azure eyes widened at the slightest with her words. He was thankful he had someone like Zelda; her dedication and loyalty was unwavering, and that earned his admiration. Link's face immediately softened into a tiny grin, looking directly at Zelda's eyes.

"I am grateful for that, Zelda."

The heroine chuckled a bit, her hand still rested on his. It was somewhat an intimate moment that both thought would last for a while, if it weren't for a voice that came behind the door.

"Your Grace, I have gotten the latest reports coming from the advisors-Oh. Am I interrupting something?"

Link and Zelda turned to see a young, blonde-haired man with red eyes, face covered with a scarf, and wearing a gi that had an eye emblem engraved on it. Said young man's expression looked deadpan. Realizing the awkward situation, Link and Zelda let go of each others hands, fully facing the new guest.

"N-No, you weren't interrupting anything, Sheik." Link replied, surprised by himself stuttering. "Zelda and I were just done talking about the current situation at hand."

Sheik nodded once. "Mhmm." He then pulled out a parchment, and read out part of it. "The advisors had made the latest written report on the recovery efforts in the surrounding villages; they said all is going well so far."

Link beamed. "Excellent. Tell them to keep up the good work, and that I will personally visit the affected areas in due time."

"Yes, Your Grace." Sheik responded curtly, giving a slight bow. "Anything else to keep note of?"

"Oh yes, Sheik," Link replied, pulling out a little envelope from his desk. "Do tell the councilmen that we must resume the rehearsals."

"The ones for your coronation? Will do right away, Your Grace." Sheik answered, taking the envelope before taking a bow and leaving. Once Sheik was completely out of sight, Link and Zelda turned to each other, and laughed.

"My goodness, Sheik was a moment killer!" Link chuckled. "If he wasn't my attendant, I would've told him to leave immediately."

"Well, good thing he is!" Zelda added, clutching her sides from laughing.

Their laughter echoed in the room, ignoring the world around them for a while longer. Today, and the days afterward will become better.

* * *

 **Wow, what a cheesy ending. 😛**

 **Anyways this is it for now in this AU fic. Maybe if I find the motivation to do some more writing, I'll continue with it.**

 **Feel free to give feedback.**


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